Sheffield United were hammered by West Brom this evening as Slavisa Jokanovic was left with plenty to ponder, and former midfielder Mark Duffy was unimpressed.
Nightmare
The Blades were up against it from the opening minute as Callum Robinson had a goal disallowed from a long throw But while it was ruled out, it set the scene for a miserable night for United.
Time and again the Blades were caught out from those long throws and other balls into the box. Michael Verrips endured the nightmare debut as he spilled a corner, before Alex Mowatt and then Callum Robinson duly sealed a 4-0 win.
Blades boss Jokanovic played a midfield three (we think), but it never got going. And former Blade, Mark Duffy, took to Twitter to vent his frustration during the game.
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Duffy was part of the now famed team which won promotion to the Premier League. At the time, Duffy played in front of John Fleck and Ollie Norwood in a number ten role. And did so to good effect.
He’s well placed, then, to comment on how a midfield three works. For now, it looks like Slavisa Jokanovic has a long, long way to go.
Worrying
Duffy’s words will echo with so many Blades fans. He makes a great point and it’s not hard to see what he is getting at.
All three of Fleck, Norwood, and Sander Berge contributed little this evening. Berge, in particular, was anonymous.
Something simply must change in this team now. And it starts against Huddersfield this weekend. Jokanovic has big calls to make, while the board must now back him in the market as well.
Failing to act now could mean the season ends up getting away from United before it’s even started. Tonight was a huge kick up the backside, and Duffy was right to point out the failings.
